Wimbledon to offer financial support to Ukrainian players after Russian ban overturned

Wimbledon organisers have agreed to house Ukrainian players and their teams and even assist them financially at this year’s event.

The All England Club, which organises Wimbledon, said on Tuesday that it is ready to offer financial help to Ukrainian players at this year’s event. The All England Club will pay for two rooms for Ukrainian tennis players and their teams during the grass-court season and will donate 1 British pound (about $1.25) for each ticket sold at Wimbledon to relief efforts in Ukraine — which could top 500,000 pounds ($620,000).

This decision comes in the light of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players getting overturned despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The All England Club had banned players from the two countries from competing in Wimbledon in April 2022 but that ban would not continue after the players were stripped of their ranking points and punished by the WTA and ATP with heavy fines.

As a result, Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be able to take part in the Grand Slam event as neutral athletes if they comply with certain conditions, which includes not expressing their support for the Russian invasion or not having an affiliation with the military.

At the press conference where plans for the 2023 event, which gets underway on July 3, was announced, organisers revealed that £1 from every ticket sold - expected to be more than £500,000 ($625,000) in total - will be donated to Ukrainian relief.

Funding will also be provided to support 1,000 Ukrainian refugees for a day at the tournament.

Two hotel rooms per Ukrainian player will also be offered free of charge as well as training facilities for the duration of the summer grass-court season.

This year, Russian and Belarusian men and women players have been able to compete at various events, including other Grand Slams, as neutral athletes.

Returning to the fold at Wimbledon will be Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev and both of them are ranked inside the top six in the men’s game. Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka is ranked world number two and she won the Australian Open earlier this year.

Others include Victoria Azarenka, a two-time major champion and former No. 1 from Belarus, and Karen Khachanov, a two-time major semifinalist and former member of the top 10 from Russia.

"Our announcement was made last month after careful and deep consideration," said All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt.

"At the time, we set out the factors which informed our decision and why, taking all circumstances into account, we consider these to be the appropriate arrangements for Wimbledon this year.

"It was a difficult and challenging decision, which was made with the full support of our UK government and the international stakeholder bodies in tennis, but does not lessen in any way our total condemnation of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine."

Club chief executive Sally Bolton also added that Wimbledon will not be broadcast in Russia or Belarus this year and media from the two countries will not be allowed at the tournament. Flags or signs of support related to the countries will be banned and the players have started signing a declaration that they will not show support for Russia, Belarus or the war in Ukraine, a requirement for them to participate.

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